Quiz: Howstuffworks

From the Nile to Cape Town: The African Geography Quiz

About This Quiz

With its record-breaking rivers, mountains, plains and deserts, the African continent has a diverse geography. How much do you know about the birthplace of humanity? Take this quiz to find out.

What is the population of the African continent?

3.2 billion

2.2 billion

1.2 billion

The population of the continent of Africa is 1.2 billion people. Asia is the only continent more populated than Africa.

What is the length of Africa's coastline?

18,950 miles (30,947 kilometers)

22,950 miles

26,950 miles

The coastline of Africa is approximately 18,950 miles in length.

True or false: The Congo River is the longest river on the African continent.

true

false

The Nile is the longest river in Africa. At a length of about 4,132 miles (6,649 kilometers), the Nile River is not only the longest river in Africa, but also the longest river in the world.

What is the tallest mountain on the continent of Africa?

Aconcagua

Kilimanjaro

Denali

At 19,341 feet (5,895 meters) above sea level, Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest peak on the continent of Africa.

Which African country was once named Rhodesia?

Chad

Zimbabwe

Nigeria

In 1980, the African country of Rhodesia was renamed Zimbabwe. The city was named for Great Zimbabwe, an ancient ruin that served as the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe from the 11th to 15th centuries.

What is the biggest desert on the African continent?

Sahara

Namib

Kalahari

With an area of more than 3.3 million square miles (8.5million square kilometers), the Sahara Desert is not only the largest desert in Africa, but also the largest desert on Earth.

Which bodies of water separate the continent of Africa from the Middle East?

Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Sea and Gulf of Aden

Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden separate the continent of Africa from the Middle East.

Which country in Africa was home to the now-extinct dodo?

Mauritius

Cape Verde

Galapagos

The African island nation of Mauritius was once the home of the now-extinct dodo.

What is the smallest country in mainland Africa?

Rwanda

Gambia

Burundi

With an area of just 3,907 square miles (10,119 square kilometers), Gambia is the smallest country located in mainland Africa.

Which African river empties into the Indian Ocean?

Nile

Congo

Zambezi

The Zambezi is the African river that empties into the Indian Ocean. The Nile flows into the Mediterranean Sea, and the Congo runs into the Atlantic Ocean.

Which African country merged with Tanganyika to form the Republic of Tanzania?

Zanzibar

Zambia

Zaire

In October 1964, the African country of Zanzibar merged with Tanganyika to form the Republic of Tanzania.

Which country in Africa has the largest population?

Ethiopia

Nigeria

Egypt

Nigeria is home to more than 178 million people.

What is the lowest point on the continent of Africa?

Lake Assal

Lake Victoria

Lake Malawi

At 512 feet (156 meters) below sea level, Lake Assal in Djibouti is the lowest point on the continent of Africa.

Where on the African continent is the Horn of Africa located?

Northwest coast

Southern coast

Eastern coast

The Horn of Africa is a protrusion of land into the Arabian Sea on the eastern coast of the African continent. The countries that make up the Horn of Africa include Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia.

Which ocean does not border Africa?

Indian Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Pacific Ocean does not border Africa. The continent is bounded in the north by the Mediterranean Sea, in the east by the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, in the west by the Atlantic and in the south by the combined waters of the Atlantic and Indian oceans.

True or false: Africa has more countries than any other continent.

true

false

The continent of Africa has 54 countries, more than any other continent.

Which hemisphere contains the entire continent of Africa?

Northern Hemisphere

Southern Hemisphere

neither

The equator divides Africa almost evenly between the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, therefore neither hemisphere contains the entire continent of Africa.

Which African country is the continent's largest producer of rubber?

Ivory Coast

Angola

Congo

Ivory Coast is the largest producer of rubber on the continent of Africa and the fifth largest exporter of rubber in the world.

Which African country is the largest by area?

Sudan

Algeria

Libya

Algeria is the largest country on the continent of Africa, with an area of more than 919,500 square miles (2,381,500 square kilometers).

What is the longest mountain range on the continent of Africa?

Atlas Mountains

Rwenzori Mountains

Tibesti Mountains

The Atlas mountain range extends 1,490 miles (2,397 kilometers) across northern Africa and is the continent's longest mountain range. The Atlas Mountains span the countries of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

Which country is the largest producer of oil on the African continent?

Nigeria

Angola

Algeria

Nigeria is the largest oil-producing country in Africa. The country produces more than 2.4 million barrels of oil per day.

What is the largest lake by area on the continent of Africa?

Lake Malawi

Lake Tanganyika

Lake Victoria

With a surface area of 26,600 square miles (68,893 square kilometers), Lake Victoria is the largest lake on the African continent. Lake Victoria is the second largest freshwater lake in the world; only Lake Superior in the U.S. is larger.

What is the largest island within the maritime borders of Africa?

Cape Verde

Comoros

Madagascar

Madagascar is the largest island within the maritime borders of Africa. At 226,658 square miles (587,041 square kilometers), Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world.

What is the largest city in Africa?

Cairo

Lagos, Nigeria

Kinshasa, Congo

Lagos, Nigeria, is the largest city in Africa, with an estimated population of 21 million people.

How many African countries does the equator run through?

Which African country contains the largest number of pyramids?

Egypt

Libya

Sudan

The African country of Sudan contains the largest number of pyramids.

Which African country is home to the famous maritime landmark the Cape of Good Hope?

South Africa

Namibia

Mozambique

The Cape of Good Hope is located in the African country of South Africa. In 1652, the Dutch East India Co. established a station at the cape to provide food, water and supplies for sailors. That station grew into the present day city of Cape Town, South Africa.

Which body of water separates mainland Africa from the country of Madagascar?

Atlantic Ocean

Mozambique Channel

Mediterranean Sea

The Mozambique Channel is part of the Indian Ocean.

True or false: An African city has only hosted the Olympic Games once.

true

false

The Olympic Games have never been held on the continent of Africa.

Which African country was founded as a settlement of freed slaves from the United States?

Liberia

Sierra Leone

Ghana

The African country of Liberia was founded as a settlement of freed slaves from the United States. On July 26, 1847, the former American colony declared its independence and became the first democratic republic in African history.

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